ufc-msg-general-2025.jpg
Getty Images

Welcome to UFC's Paramount Era. Starting in 2026, all UFC live events will stream on Paramount+, including the end of pay-per-views, as even numbered UFC events will stream for just the cost of a Paramount+ subscription.

This change might mean you've become interested in watching UFC fights for the first time. There are decades of history for the promotion, ranging from the earliest days of a "wild west" approach to fight promotion to the current status as a global brand that presents more than 40 events and hundreds of fights every year.

With that in mind, it's a huge ask to dig through the more than 8,000 fights that have taken place in the Octagon to find the fights that best exemplify the ideals of a UFC fight, so we took it upon us to create a playlist to introduce you to the sport.

Let's take a look at a curated list of the 10 best fights to introduce you to what action inside the Octagon looks like at its most exciting. We kept it to one fight per fighter to give the broadest taste of the sport, and of the fighters who have paved the way to the Paramount+ Era.

Forrest Griffin vs. Stephan Bonnar, The Ultimate Fighter 1 Finale (April 9, 2005)

What better place to start the playlist than with the fight UFC CEO Dana White credits with saving the UFC? The Fertittas and White had seen their attempts to grow the UFC stall out when they took a last-ditch shot in the most 2005 way possible: a reality show. "The Ultimate Fighter" drew in viewers for the standard reality show drama, but it also allowed those viewers to connect with the type of men who enter into a cage to punch, kick, elbow, knee and twist another's limbs. The whole thing led to the live finale on Spike TV (the same network that aired the weekly episodes) and Griffin and Bonnar meeting in the light heavyweight finals. The two men went to war in a fight that generated a ton of buzz, led to a renewal order for the show on Spike and UFC contracts for both men. While it was briefly trendy for MMA fans to claim the fight wasn't great for lacking high-level techniques, it's a brutal example of the kind of fight that speaks to a primitive part of the brain.

Mauricio "Shogun" Rua vs. Dan Henderson, UFC 139 (Nov. 19, 2011)

UFC signing a deal with FOX was the first domino that fell to produce one of the greatest UFC fights in history. The deal was signed in August, and in early September, UFC announced that the heavyweight championship fight between Junior Dos Santos and Cain Velasquez would headline the first FOX broadcast, moving it from the expected UFC 139 main event. The promotion then announced that Henderson had signed to return to the Octagon and would face Rua in the UFC 139 headliner. What followed was an all-out war that saw momentum swing multiple times, from Henderson nearly scoring a first-round stoppage to Rua mounting and pummelling Henderson to nearly score a late stoppage.

Jon Jones vs. Alexander Gustafsson, UFC 165 (Sept. 21, 2013)

Dana White has claimed Jones is the greatest UFC fighter ever. There's certainly a case to be made for Jones in that slot, whether you place him there or not. With only a small handful of exceptions, Jones dominated nearly every opponent in his storied career. One of the men who was able to actually push Jones to the limit was Gustafsson. Gustafsson was brilliant in the early rounds, winning most of the stand-up exchanges and even scoring takedowns. Jones was able to come back in the second half of the fight to eek out a narrow win in the best fight of his career, and one of the best in UFC history.

Robbie Lawler vs. Rory MacDonald II, UFC 189 (July 11, 2015)

The second meeting between Lawler and MacDonald is considered by many to be the best fight in UFC history. Lawler was a beloved fighter for his pure-action style and he found a perfect dance partner in MacDonald. The two had fought in 2013, with Lawler winning a split decision in a solid fight. Less than two years later, with Lawler now the welterweight champion, they battled again in a blood and guts fight that saw both men rocked, cut and continuing to come forward. Lawler vs. MacDonald II is the kind of fight you can't watch without your heart racing and thinking you should watch it again just for the dopamine rush.

Conor McGregor vs. Nate Diaz 1, UFC 196 (March 5, 2016)

Check out the full fight now on Paramount+

Even if you've never watched a UFC event, you are likely familiar with McGregor. One of the last true breakout UFC superstars, McGregor entered UFC 196 having run through his first seven UFC opponents. In his last fight before the event, McGregor knocked out the legendary Jose Aldo in just 13 seconds to become featherweight champion. A series of events led to venue and card changes before a plan to have McGregor challenge Rafael dos Anjos for the lightweight title, only for dos Anjos to break his foot. McGregor faced replacement opponent Diaz, the winner of Season 5 of The Ultimate Fighter and a fan favorite for his rebellious personality, in McGregor's welterweight debut. McGregor had a solid first round, only for Diaz to shock the world in the second, forcing McGregor to tap out to a rear-naked choke. It's not as "great" as the other fights on the list, but the thrill of a shocking upset is a compelling watch in its own way.

Cub Swanson vs Doo-ho Choi, UFC 206 (Dec. 10, 2016)

It's easy to forget that, at the peak of his career, Swanson defeated the likes of UFC legends Dustin Poirier and Charles Oliveira, among a slew of other talented fighters. Back-to-back losses against Frankie Edgar and Max Holloway knocked Swanson from the ranks of featherweight contenders, but Swanson began to again make the climb as Doo-ho Choi exploded onto the UFC roster with three first-round knockout wins. That all led to a crossroads fight at UFC 206, which Swanson won in an all-action fight to prove he still had plenty in the tank.

Robert Whittaker vs. Yoel Romero II, UFC 225 (June 9, 2018)

Whittaker is another fan favorite fighter, both for his style and his personality. Romero presented a fantastic foil for Whittaker during Whittaker's time as middleweight champion. With an action figure build, which betrayed Romero as he missed weight, thus leaving him unable to win the title at UFC 225, Romero looks like what someone dreams of as a professional fighter. Add in an Olympic silver medal in freestyle wrestling and massive power in his punches and kicks, and Romero is as dangerous as any fighter on any given day. Whittaker managed to navigate all of those dangers against Romero not once, but twice, with their UFC 225 clash as the standout in their rivalry. Romero had to survive Whittaker's clever boxing in the opening rounds before he started to connect with heavy power shots that dropped Whittaker several times. Despite those scary moments, Whittaker survived and took a split decision.

Dustin Poirier vs. Dan Hooker, UFC Fight Night (June 27, 2020)

During one of the peak stretches of the COVID-19 pandemic, beloved legend Poirier met a dangerous and rangy fighter in Hooker in the empty UFC Apex. Poirier had lost a shot at the lightweight championship against then-champion Khabib Nurmagomedov and was looking to remain in contention for another shot at the belt against Hooker, who was looking to boost his own resume with a win over a future Hall of Famer. The result was a bloody war that saw Hooker win the early rounds before a gutsy comeback from Poirier over the final stretch.

Weili Zhang vs. Joanna Jedrzejczyk, UFC 248 (March 7, 2020)

Check out the full fight now on Paramount+ 

Great fights aren't only for men. Since UFC welcomed women to the Octagon in 2013, women have produced a ton of memorable moments and great fights. Arguably, no women's fight has produced the drama, skill and violence of Zhang vs. Jedrzejczyk in 2020. The bell-to-bell action left both women visibly damaged, though it was Jedrzejczyk who ended up with a hematoma on her forehead that remains one of the most striking visuals in MMA history.

Glover Teixeira vs. Jiri Prochazka, UFC 275 (June 11, 2022)

Check out the full fight now on Paramount+

Teixeira became one of the great stories of the 2020s when he defeated Jan Blachowicz to win the light heavyweight championship at 42 years old. That was a fantastic moment for one of the sport's most beloved figures. His first title defense came against Prochazka, a unique fighter who combined a samurai mentality with a wide-open attacking style. Prochazka tagged Teixeira with his unorthodox striking throughout the fight, but Teixeira stood tall, landing his own strikes and using takedowns to unleash brutal striking on the ground. Despite the narrative that Prochazka couldn't win the fight if much time was spent on the floor, he only only survived Teixeira's assault, but also finished the fight there, forcing Teixeira to tap to a rear-naked choke with just 28 seconds left in the fight.